Online learning

The world is rapidly becoming a 'global village' where people around the globe can communicate with others as if we were neighbours. Deakin University prepares its graduates to be confident and competent in this world, using online technologies to enrich learning experiences and value for all students.

Online learning is the use of computers and the Internet to enable easy student-to-teacher and student-to-student communications, access to your course information and interaction with learning resources.

Deakin Studies Online (DSO)

DSO is Deakin University's online teaching and learning environment designed to enhance both on and off-campus learning. DSO delivers web-based course materials and assessment tasks. It also facilitates communication and collaboration between staff and students through the Learners Guide, unit-based messaging, announcements, discussion groups, and chat rooms.

Accessing DSO

In addition to your other course materials, your local institution will provide you with a copy of the Deakin Learning Toolkit. The Deakin Learning Toolkit contains a booklet called 'Getting Started Online', which you should use as a step-by-step guide to access DSO.

Online technology and your Faculty

Each Faculty makes extensive use of online technologies to teach, administer and deliver course materials.
All units have an online area in DSO. The structure of online areas will vary from unit to unit (depending on the nature of the unit) but all units have:

A welcome message from your Unit Chair
An area called 'Resources' containing important learning resources
A document called the Unit Outline that describes, amongst other things, the nature of the unit, the learning objectives, the resources you will need to successfully complete the unit and the general nature of the assessment tasks. It is very important that you read this document carefully at the start of your studies in the unit. It will be found in the 'Resources' area.

Electronic library resources

You can also use your Deakin username and password to access the electronic library resources from the Deakin University library. These may include

electronic readings accessible to students enrolled in particular units
past exam papers to assist you with your revision
electronic journal articles
databases

You can access these resources by following the links in your resources folder in DSO, or by going to the following website:

www.deakin.edu.au/library/services/off_shore/offshore.php

In order to use Deakin's electronic library resources, you will need your library borrower number on the bottom of your Deakin card (this is the number that begins X011). If you haven't received your Deakin card and you have sent your passport-sized photo to the university, email enquire@deakin.edu.au